


Here There Be Dragons

by Persephoneshadow



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Canon Universe, Case Fic, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Fluff and Smut, Humor, M/M, Sea Monsters, Soulfisting, Wing Grooming, Wing Kink, Wingfic, how is that a tag, well lake monsters technically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-30 23:26:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14507769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Persephoneshadow/pseuds/Persephoneshadow
Summary: Dean and Cas join Sam, Jody and Donna to hunt down a lake monster, but the damage to Cas's wings makes things difficult. Luckily, Dean is ready and more than willing to help out any way he can.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, I've wnted to write wing kink for a while and thanks to my lovely Fandom Trumps Hate bidder - I finally have the chance! Please eajoy this ridiculous bit of fluff and as always, comments, kudos and tumblr visits (ibelieveinthelittletreetopper) are welcome. And also - the Laek Superior Monster is a real thing.

“No, Jody, we didn’t forget the grenade launcher,” Dean sighs into the phone. He’s honestly hurt that Jody even thought to ask. “We’ve got the full arsenal.”

“Are we sure it will work in water? I don’t want to take any chances with this thing,” Jody chastises none the less.

“Well, we’re not going to get a freaking missile launcher, so it will have to do,” Dean says, propping the phone between his cheek and shoulder as he surveys the – frankly over-loaded – trunk of the impala. They’ve got crossbows, shotgun and a fucking harpoon gun Sam somehow got his hands on. “Can’t believe we’re hunting a fucking sea monster.”

“Technically it’s a lake monster,” Cas remarks as he enters the garage, carrying the Dean’s bulging duffle bags like it's nothing. The hotness of his boyfriend helping with his stuff zeroes out the annoyance at the snark.

“Me neither,” Jody agrees over the line. “But all the lore checks out, and the pictures Sam sent are pretty convincing.”

“You haven’t met up with him yet?” Dean still feels a twinge of worry, even though it was his idea for Sam to skip sthe bunker after his hunt in Reno and head straight to meet Jody and Donna on the shores of Lake Superior.

“He called from the road, should be here soon. I guess he stopped for some supplies,” Jody says. “Don’t worry. He asked if you were going to be okay too.”

“Me? I’m fine. I’m bringing the big guns.” Dean looks over the roof to where Cas is staring fondly at him and gives him a smirk. “And some weapons too.”

“Well, don’t forget a warm coat. It’s cold up here,” Jody replies. He can imagine her indulgent smile and returns it as he ends the call.

“She’s not wrong, you should bring something heavier than what you’re wearing,” Cas says and Dean rolls his eyes.

“I’ve got one in the back,” Dean snipes back then looks Cas over again. “And if I got really cold you’d just give me yours, right? Like, chivalry and shit?”

“I’m not a knight, I have no obligation to be chivalrous,” Cas replies, deadpan as they get into the car, moving perfectly in tandem as they settle into their seats.

“Yeah, but we’re sleeping together so…” Dean makes a vague gesture with one hand as he starts the car with the other.

“I don’t see how that’s relevant to me giving you my coat.”

“What the fuck are you talking about, it’s like, what boyfriends do.”

Cas sends him that assessing, sidelong, ‘why is this the one I’ve chosen’ look. “Well, then, would you give me your coat?”

“You don’t need a coat, you don’t get cold,” Dean snaps. “Which is exactly why you should give me _your_ coat.”

“I’ve extremely attached to this coat, it would be very disconcerting to see you in it,” Cas muses and Dean sighs powerfully as they exit the bunker garage into the chilly spring morning, the fields around the bunker still damp with dew.

“Yeah, we’ve all noticed. You haven’t changed outfit for like ten years.”

Cas snorts derisively as they turn down towards the road. Dean watches from the corner of his eye as Cas stares out the window, face thoughtful as the world rolls by. He’s silent just long enough for Dean to relax.

“Considering you’ve been wearing the same outfit for most of your natural life I don’t think you’re in a position to criticize me.”

Dean nearly swerves off the road. When he glares over at Cas, the angel is smiling.

 

“You happen to like my clothes, I know for a fact,” Dean snaps halfway through Nebraska.

“I prefer them on the floor.”

Jesus, Dean’s going to get pulled over if he keeps this erratic driving up.

 

“So you’re saying that if I was freezing, and like, naked, you wouldn’t give me a coat?” Dean asks again, sputtering, when they reach Iowa.

“I could adequately warm you with my grace.”

“That’s one, cheating, and two, not the point!”

“How is that not the point, I’d make sure you were taken care of,” Cas argues and Dean just knows he’s being purposefully obtuse. “Would you rather I use my wings?”

“No! What…that…that wouldn’t even DO anything! Would it?"

Cas makes that ‘sure, Dean’ face, but at least this time Dean’s emphatic gesturing doesn’t lead to another near accident.

“The point is that I wouldn’t let you die of hypothermia.”

“No, the point is like the sacrifice, or whatever.”

“So, in a different situation, if I was, say, injured and needed to get some where, you’d let me drive the Impala?” Cas asks, calm and even.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Only if I was unconscious and even then I’d probably wake up just to says fuck no.”  Cas makes a smug little ‘hm’ noise and Dean grits his teeth. “It’s not the same.”

“It’s exactly the same.”

“I can’t believe you’d let me die instead of giving me your stupid coat.”

 

They stop somewhere in southern Minnesota for gas and an angry make out session, that turns into not so angry dry humping in the back seat and Dean coming on his own shirt because Cas does _that one thing_ with his tongue and Dean’s ear like a complete asshole. Dean makes sure to be extra spiteful getting Cas off, which doesn’t actually work because spiteful doesn’t really mix with having your hand on someone’s dick. Go figure.

They move back into the front seat, rumpled and satisfied, with Dean scowling down at the mess.

“Can you mojo this away?” Dean asks and Cas complies with an eyeroll.

“And you wonder why I wouldn’t trust you with my clothes.”

 

Midway through Minneapolis Cas repeats, his voice barely rising over the din of the traffic, “I’m just saying, it doesn’t count if it’s something you have to wear for work, thus your fed suits aren’t part of your wardrobe.”

“That’s bullshit! And I take pride in those suits.”

“Yes, Sam has mentioned that.”

“You know what?!”

 

“Costumes don’t count either.”

“You know I don’t recall you complaining last time I broke out the assless chaps.”

“That’s a fair point.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

 

They pull into Knife River a few hours after dark. Jody is taking no chances with things, it seems and she’s set everyone up in a cabin on the shore of the lake, right outside of town. It’s idyllic, if you don’t think about the fact they’re visiting to fight a giant monster that shows up every decade or. It still warms something deep in Dean’s chest to see Jody’s truck out front next to Sam’s dodge. And another sheriff’s squad car.

“Dean, who else is here?”

“Well, Donna gave us the tip, I’m assuming she joined the party,” Dean shrugs.

“Oh,” is all Cas says as he gathers their bags and they head for the door together. Dean can smell something suspiciously close to chili wafting from the door. Which opens before he can even know.

“Heya!” Sure enough, Donna Hanscum is waiting for the behind the door, grin bright as the sun. “Heard that baby of yours coming down the road! Come on in! We’ve got chili and corn bread just coming out of the oven and…well who is this?”

It takes Dean a second to realize Donna means Cas.

“Oh. This is, uh…” Dean falters. He never knows if he should lead with the angel thing of the boyfriend thing.

“I’m Castiel.” Cas saves him and holds out a hand to Donna. “It’s nice to meet you, Sherriff Hanscum. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“Casti-as in the _angel_?” Donna stammers, grabbing Cas’s hand with both of hers, mouth agape. “Jodes! Dean brought the angel!”

Jody emerges from the kitchen at the back of the house, arms crossed and brows arched. “Figures you’d get to meet him first.”

“Wait, no. You’ve met Cas,” Dean says. He looks between Jody and Cas, whose hand is still being held by a wide-eyed sheriff. Dean wracks his brain for how this is possible considering how long he’s know both of them, and that Claire is Jody’s sorta daughter now. Jody shakes her head.

“I’ve heard enough about him, but our paths just haven’t ever crossed, sorry to say,” Jody says. “Glad we’re finally changing that.” Jody approaches and Donna finally drops Cas’s hand. Warily, Cas hold out his hand to Jody, but she instead pulls him in for a hug. Cas looks predictably thrown, but still slowly returns the gesture.

“Well, I didn’t know it was okay to hug!” Donna crows and throws her arms around both Jody and Cas. Of course Sam choses that moment to join them, smirking at Dean from the door to the kitchen.

“Are we celebrating something or just excited to meet?” Sam asks. “I don’t have to go get my shotgun do I?”

“I don’t understand…” Cas mutters as the women release him. Dean scowls and pulls Cas fully into the cozy living room of the cabin.

“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Dean says then looks to Jody. “Where are we bunked?”

“Oh, well,” it’s Donna that answers. “This place belongs to my cousin, so I was sharing the master with Jodes and I had you and Sam in the guest rooms. But we can find a place for…uh, is it okay to call ya Cas?”

“Yes, it’s fine,” Cas replies with a wary smile. “And I’ll be comfortable wherever you put Dean.”

Donna’s eyes go wide as she stares between Dean and Cas. “So, you two are…?”

“They’re together,” Sam answers before it can get too awkward. That doesn’t seem to do anything for Donna’s fascination.

“Alright then, I, well…I didn’t know angels were allowed to—” she gestures between Dean and Cas. “Ya know.”

“We’re not, technically,” Cas replies, honest as ever.

“But Cas has never been good about obeying the rules,” Dean finishes for him, and he knows there’s a too-fond look on his face thanks to Jody and Sam’s smirks.

“So, there are rules?” Donna asks. “From…God?”

“His involvement in them is suspect,” Cas answers.

“Yeah, I doubt Chuck was in on most of the crap your bros spew,” Dean mutters as they all drift towards the kitchen.

“Who’s Chuck?” Jody asks, looking dubious as always.

“He means God,” Sam supplies. “He likes to go by Chuck.”

“Yeah, go figure,” Dean adds. “God likes to slum around wearing the face of human teddy bear with anxiety issues and a drinking problem.”

“What now?” Donna looks positively aghast. “You’re talking like…like he’s a pal.”

“He is, sorta,” Sam replies and Donna looks like her eyes are about to fall out of her head.

“Yeah, his sister had a crush on me,” Dean smirks and gets a glare from Cas for it. Guess he’s still not over that.

“Okay, we’re going to need to sit down and start this from the beginning,” Jody says. “And get some whiskey.”

 

The story of the time Dean talked God and his sister out of a conflict that nearly ended the world is definitely scintillating dinner conversation. Sam and Cas take up a lot of the slack, adding a few asides that Dean would never add himself that give him way too much credit for doing practically nothing. Considering he started the whole mess (not matter what Cas and Sammy say about it being their fault too) Dean isn’t too crazy about the topic, but Donna’s more than interested and Jody is more than a little pissed she was never filled in on most of this info.

“So,” Donna says, sitting down by Cas again after clearing his (third) bowl of chili. “You’ve got wings?”

“Yes…” Cas looks confused.

“Could I maybe, well, you know you’re the first angel I’ve met, far as I know, and well…” Donna looks practically starry-eyed. “Could I see ’em?”

“ _Donna_ ,” Dean hisses.

“What?” Donna asks back, innocent.

“You can’t just ask to see an angel’s wings,” Sam interjects.

“It’s like asking to see someone’s ass,” Dean goes on, more offended than Cas looks.

“Oh, darn, I am _so_ sorry,” Donna balks.

“It’s fine, Donna,” Cas sighs. “I don’t mind. It’s more a matter of my wings aren't visible to human perception and they’re…they’re not in very good shape right now.”

“Oh, gosh, That’s a real bummer, I am still so sorry.” Donna is absolutely sincere and it makes Cas smile in that gentle way that gets Dean’s insides all fluffy.

“They’re healing, slowly,” Cas says.

“Is there anyway to help them?” Jody asks. Sam and Dean both send her a look. “What? I have to ask, sounds like they could be useful. Hell, we’re hunting a sea monster tomorrow, I want the angel at 100 percent.”

“It’s…” Cas starts but looks down at the table, cheeks slightly bright. Which is weird because Cas doesn’t blush. “It’s technically a lake monster,” Cas fumbles and luckily Jody can take a cue.

“So, um, how long has this been going on?” Donna asks, trading one personal topic for another and gesturing between Dean and Cas.

“Uh, officially, like a few months?” Dean answers. It’s really hard to say actually. The sleeping together thing is new. The other stuff, well, isn’t.

“Unofficially ten years, give or take,” Sam adds, nicely reading Dean’s mind.

“Well isn’t that adorable?” Jody smiles and Dean gets very interested in his cornbread for a few seconds until he feels Cas’s hand on his under the table. It’s a little thing, but it helps.

“So, how are the girls?” Sam asks, nicely changing the subject and starting Jody and Donna on a long story about Claire and Alex hazing Patience in some manner that involved a vampire and the fire department being called.

The rest of the evening is thankfully focused on the case. Sam has been sorting fact from fiction about the Lake Superior Monster all day and has a good idea about what it is and what kind of cycle it might be on. They’re still not sure if it’s showing up to feed or something else, but it looks like every 10 years, proceeded by animal deaths and general weirdness, and things are moving right on schedule this year.

“You sure we shouldn’t call in some overseas contacts?” Dean asks, throwing a blurry, probably faked photo to the table. “They’ve been dealing with Nessie over in Scotland, maybe they know something about something.”

"The loch ness monster's real?" Donna asks. 

"Totally," Dean replies.

“Maybe, but I think our best bet tomorrow is just some old fashion detective work,” Sam says, punctuating the sentence with a huge yawn.

“Sounds like a plan,” Jody agrees. “So why don’t we all get to bed? Head out to the lake in the morning and see what we can see.”

“Sounds good,” Dean says.

They shuffle upstairs to their separate rooms, and Dean definitely catches Jody’s warm smile when he and Cas step into their room together. It’s a relief to be alone at last, even after eleven hours in the car together. At least, it is for Dean. Cas stands awkwardly – more awkwardly than usual that is – by the bed as Dean starts to undress and get ready. He’s still there when Dean’s done brushing his teeth.

“What’s up? Are you afraid I’m going to steal your coat in your complete lack of sleep?” Dean asks. It’s not true because Cas does actually sleep, or make some approximation thereof, pretty often. Something about recharging his grace or something. It’s still funny or annoying enough to get Dean a glare.

“I was thinking about what Jody asked. About my wings,” Cas says. He looks dour and serious; enough so that Dean switches off his regular asshole mode and approaches him carefully.

“What about them? Like, I know you miss ‘em.”

“I should be trying to heal them more quickly. I could be of more use,” Cas mutters, eyes downcast. Instantly, Dean is in his space, pushing his chin up so Cas is forced to look him in the eyes.

“Cas, hold up, we’ve been over this. We don’t keep you around because you’re useful. You could be human and I’d still want to be with you.” Dean really hopes Cas appreciates this because it’s more feelings talk than he’s managed in a month. And Cas does look appreciative, but still doubtful.

“If I had my wings I could easily search the entire lake for this creature and reduce any risk to you. And Sam, Jody and Donna,” Cas argues. “As it is, I could walk in but it would be very time consuming and rough on my vessel.”

“Not to mention I’m never letting you walk into a fuck lake again,” Dean snaps and for some reason that’s what makes the darkness lift from Cas’s expression.

“I’d be fine.”

“Don’t care.” Dean pulls Cas close to him by his belt loops, knocking their foreheads gently together. “You’re part of the team, don’t mean you have to do stupid things for no reason.”

Cas huffs as Dean pushes off his coat then places it carefully on a chair before returning to within an inch of Cas to start on his jacket and shirt. “Like I said, with my wings, it would be easier. And if I could…”

“If this is some request to go to heaven or talk to some mystical glowing head somewhere to fix your wings, I think we already went over my stance on you doing stupid shit you don’t need to.”

“It’s not like that, they could heal faster if…” Again Cas is blushing and Dean knows something is up. “If you’d help me?”

“Help you?” Dean parrots. “Like…help you how?” Dean has some unpleasant visions of getting soulfisted or something, but they way Cas is acting it doesn’t sound like that.

“You could help me…groom them.”


	2. Chapter 2

Dean’s not sure he heard that right, not just because Cas muttered, but because…what?

“Did you say…grooming?”

Cas pulls away, sighing and that weird blush deepening. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”

“Hey. I didn’t say no. I just…I don’t know what you mean. I can’t even see your wings, how in fuck am I supposed to groom them?”

“Well, you could see them and, also touch them, if I slightly altered your frontal cortex and with some slight dimensional manipulation.”

“Oh. It sounds so simple can’t believe we haven’t talked about it before.” Cas opens his mouth to argue. “Sarcasm, Cas.”

“Oh.”

“So, if I let you do brain surgery on me, I can see them and…” Dean’s sincerely at a loss here. “Like, brush them?”

“It would be more like…massage.”

“Like the sexy kind?” Dean says, instantly smirking. To his surprise Cas doesn’t glare at him or sigh in annoyance. In fact, he looks bashfully to the floor. “Holy…I mean, uh…shit.”

“The process can be pleasurable for some. I’ve heard. I’ve never actually…” Cas clears his throat in a way that very much reminds Dean of the virgin Cas he knew a thousand years ago.

“I though angels weren’t into that,” Dean says, stupidly and gets The Eyebrow for his trouble. “I mean, I know _you’re_ into that. But I didn’t think angels part were built for…you know what? I’m gonna stop talking now.”

“Probably for the best.” Cas doesn’t look like he means it and Dean has got to salvage this mess.

“I’m into it though,” Dean blurts out. “Like, if you…want me to…uh, whatever it is.”

“Really?” Cas looks understandably doubtful.

“Sure. Boop me, let me see, and then I can, uh, groom you as much as you need.” Cas sends him a dubious look, but begins to pull off his tie, which Dean takes as a definite good sign. Cas moving towards the door and not towards Dean on the other hand – less good.  “What are you—”

Cas places a hand on the wall by the door and a blue-white pulse of grace ripples over the wall. “Soundproofing.”

“Oh. Wait is that why Sam doesn’t complain about us at home anymore?”

“Who do you think asked me to try it the first time?” Cas smirks and pulls off his coat and shirt, a sight Dean is _always_ happy to see, then advances towards Dean. He holds up two fingers near Dean’s forehead in a familiar gesture and, even though Dean knows this will be fine (what’s a little frontal cortex manipulation between lovers, right?) he tenses. “It won’t hurt, I promise.”

“I trust you,” Dean says, and he means it completely. He’d trust Cas with anything, no exceptions. He’s happy to trust Cas with this and also to be trusted. It’s actually kind of big deal now that he thinks about it and…

The grace that zings through his skull doesn’t hurt, but it does feel weird. Dean’s not sure if it’s good weird but, he’s got to go with it. He blinks and stares at Cas, whose eyes are closed in concentration, or more correctly, he stares right behind where the air seems is shimmer like a heat mirage. Then shadowy and then suddenly…

“Holy shit.”

Now, Dean has been aware of Cas’s wings since the first time they met and Cas felt the need to peacock and prove that, yes, he was an angel. And he’s seen the massive shadows a few times since. And once he’d seen them burned into the sand of lakeshore and never wants to think about that again, thanks very much…but he’d never really conceptualized that _Cas has wings_. Real, huge, wings. He didn’t get the true size of them, easily ten feet of wing span if Cas unfurled them. As of now he has them tucked close, but he can’t hide their size even so. Or their state. Half the feathers are gone, with small stubs of new growth where they used to be, sticking out from the delicate bones and down-speckled wings like thorns. Some of the other feathers are bent or broken, scraggly and even burnt. The feathers themselves are dark, not black. More like the feathers of a starling, reflecting back a thousand colors. It reminds Dean of the one time he saw the northern lights, a shimmering, dancing rainbow laid over the black and starry sky.

“Dean?”

Dean’s focus snaps back to Cas. Fuck, he was staring like an asshole and Cas looks like he just got caught kicking a puppy or something. “Yeah, sorry, uhhh….”

“I know they’re not wat you probably expected—”

“Shut up, Cas, they’re amazing.”

Cas blinks up at Dean, his eyes filling with something disbelieving and soft. He opens his mouth and closes it again, chewing on his bottom lip as Dean steps carefully towards him.

“I didn’t mean actually shut up, you dork,” Dean says, brushing his fingers along Cas’s pectoral and up to his shoulder.

“Oh.”

“This is…cool.”

“Not weird?” Cas asks, trembling just slightly as Dean’s fingers brush down his back to the base of the wing, not quite touching the wing yet.

“It’s a little weird. But good weird.” Dean gulps. “Can…is it okay to touch them?”

“It’s fine, Dean, touching them is the point of this.”

“Yeah, okay.” Dean’s mouth is still dry, even so and he can feel Cas’s tension as well. Carefully, oh so fucking carefully, Dean touches the base of one wing. The small, delicate feathers are smooth under his fingertips, almost buzzing with that same hot-cold tingle of grace that Dean feels when Cas heals him. The bone and muscle, or whatever it is, beneath them is solid, more so than Dean would have imagined. He runs a finger up the right wing and Cas shudders, inhaling sharply. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?”

“No,” Cas breathes, his voice thin and tight. Dean looks to his face and…well, he knows that expression.

“Oh.”

Dean increases the pressure of his hand and Cas full on gasps, his eyes falling closed. Again, it’s weird, but…it’s also sort of really hot that he can gets Cas’s motor running this fast touching _his wings._ Dean’s hand sweeps up, with the grain of the feathers, smoothing them until he reaches the powerful joint then strokes down. He can feel how some of the feathers are bent the wrong way but resettle under his palm. He reaches the long feathers at the tip. He has no idea what they’re called and fuck if he has to google bird anatomy to better understand sexy times with his angel boyfriend. The feathers are sort of straggly – the ones that are intact – and they remind him of the crow’s feathers he used to find and collect as a kid, how the fine fibers would clump and bend. But he also remembers how to fix that.

“Is it okay if I, uh…smooth these?” Dean asks, because he does not what to hurt Cas, but looking back at Cas’s flushed face and chest, his eyes half-lidded with clear pleasure, he doesn’t think that’s gonna be an issue.

“Please,” Cas whispers.

Dean starts working carefully. He has to move behind Cas to get the right angle, which is a shame because watching Cas’s reaction to this is pretty amazing. Then again, he’s already starting to get turned on by Cas’s reaction, and this could take a while. He takes one delicate feather between his fingers, flattening and smoothing it and Cas lets out the same kind of whimper he gives when Dean nibbles that one sweet spot right below his jaw, but a tone more desperate. Dean must be doing something right. Dean can tell these feathers are different than just plain bird feathers, not just in the color and how they nearly vibrate with power, but they’re heartier and, if Dean’s not mistaken, they’re responding very well to his attention.

“Wow, man, this is…” Dean doesn’t have the words to describe it as Cas’s feathers shimmer and heal before his eyes. Not completely, but enough to notice. “Wow. I’m gonna keep, uh…”

“Please don’t stop,” Cas breathes and Dean hears rustling. It turns out to be Cas hastily undoing his pants, freeing his straining hard-on. He nearly stumbles to the bed, Dean following an inch behind, and falls to his knees on the old mattress.

“I don’t plan on it,” Dean replies, throat dry. He braces his own knees around Cas’s calves and gets back to work. He moves up to the smaller feathers, running them between his fingers, straightening, smoothing and healing, somehow. He doesn’t know if it’s the intimacy of the contact, or some weird side effect of Cas’s grace or if this is just…really hot, but he feels slightly high on it all. His head is cloudy with lust and something more, and all he wants to do is keep touching. Keep making Cas feel good.

And he sure seems to be feeling really good: his breath is coming fast and his wings are spreading wider, relaxing as Dean grooms them. He finishes with the right wing at last and starts on the left, massaging, realigning and stroking the sky-dark feathers as Cas loses himself in soft moans and gasps. He has to stand to get to the ends now, caressing the wing in long passed. He’s sad to be almost done, but it’s as good a chance as any to get rid of his shirt and pants. As he undresses, as quick as he can manage, Cas’s wing stretches back, as if in search of him.

“Hey. I’m right – whoa.” Dean’s the one gasping now as the edge of one wing grazes his bare stomach and chest, sending a pulse of that intoxicating…whatever it is, through his whole body. And directly to his dick. “Fucking hell, what is going on?”

Cas doesn’t seem to be in any state to give a detailed answer, and Dean’s mostly working with his downstairs brain now anyway. He returns to the bed, fingers lovingly gliding over the wings as he settles behind Cas. He leans close, his chest pressing against the base of his wings and his cock nestling in the cleft of Cas’s ass and another hit of magic surges through him. It must do something for Cas to because he cries out at the touch. Dean wants to touch Cas’s cock, it’s what he means to do, but somehow his hands end up on his wings instead, kneading and touching and sending wave after wave of grace and electricity through both of them.

“Dean…” His name is barely a word in Cas’s rough voice, but somehow Dean understands what Cas is asking for, as he cranes his head back. Their mouths crash together, uncoordinated and starving as Dean grinds against Cas. Somewhere in the tumult, they manage to fall to the bed, Cas writhing beneath Dean, while his fingers stay entwined in his wings. He can feel the orgasm ramping up inside of him, but more insanely, he can feel it cresting for Cas, buzzing and shaking all around them. It hits like nothing he’s ever felt, like a sunrise or something else poetica;. Gradual and warm and, holy shit, amazing. Amazing.

When they do come back to themselves – and it takes _a while –_ things are a bit confusing, to say the least. For one: it’s dark and Dean’s pretty sure they had the lights on, and two, he’s a floppy and still kinda stoned on top of a uselessly blissed out angel with wings that take up half the room.

“Wow, that was…”

A thunderous knock cuts him off before he can finish. “Dean! What the hell did you and Cas just do! You blew the power!” Sam yells.

“Shit.”


	3. Chapter 3

“You know, it would be easier to look up the location of the last sighting _if my phone was charged_ ,” Sam says sourly over his coffee the moment Dean slinks into the kitchen the next morning.

“I thought you had a portable charger?” Cas says, perfectly oblivious. There had been some very curt words exchanged last night between the brothers, but Cas had still been too completely out of it to hear. As far as Dean could tell, Jody and Donna thankfully slept through the mess too, but now in the clear light of day there’s no avoiding Sam’s annoyance or Jody’s very suspicious look between the brothers. At least Cas has tucked his wings back away into whatever dimension they usually exist in.

“Well, I didn’t think I’d need it, seeing as we’re guests in this nice cabin,” Sam shoots.

“Yeah, it’s weird the generator went out like that! And the neighbors too!” Donna chimes in, standing by a sizzling pan of bacon. “Never had trouble before, even with the bad winter storms.”

“Yeah. Weird,” Sam mutters and Dean turns his focus to getting plates for him and Cas.

“I’ll…uh, _we’ll_ take a look at stuff after breakfast,” Dean hedges. “I’ve fixed generators before.”

“I’m sure you have,” Jody says, knowingly and Dean’s grimaces.

“He’s extremely skilled with combustion engines,” Cas says proudly and that just makes Dean want to sink into the floor more.

It’s not that he’s embarrassed that he and Cas sorta got caught doing something sexy. He’s taken great glee in recent months torturing Sam with their exploits. It’s no secret that he and Cas have sorta been making up for lost time by going at it like horny teenagers, too Sam’s delightful horror. But Sam is different than Jody and Donna. And what he and Cas did last night…that was different too.

“The most recent sighting was about ten miles up the coast, I have the address written down on this fancy stuff called paper,” Donna says, shoveling bacon and eggs onto the plates Dean holds. “It’s a nice drive.”

“Should we all take the Impala or do you wanna caravan?” Dean asks the group.

“That’ll be a little cramped, don’t you think?” Sam asks immediately. Dean looks towards Cas, meaningfully. He’s pretty sure Sam’s not going to let them have a moment alone (which kinda good reason) and he’s more than a little curious to know if whatever they did last night helped.

“Possibly,” Cas says and Dean sees a shimmering behind him at the same time Cas sort of puffs up. Obviously no one else in the room sees it, because they just go about eating their breakfast, but Dean can’t help but stare. He can’t see the wings in full detail, but he cans see something spreading and stretching behind Cas then flapping tentatively before Cas’s actual body flickers across the room.

“What the heck!” Donna exclaims.

“I was testing,” Cas explains.

“ _Teleportation_?” Jody demands.

“Technically it’s flight on a plane human beings can neither see nor understand at speeds beyond your laws of physics,” Cas says, breathless. He looks like he just ran a mile, now that Dean’s paying attention and he very carefully walks back to the table.

“I thought you couldn’t do that anymore,” Sam says, thankfully more amazed than suspicious.

“I haven’t been able to,” Cas says. “But my wings have been healing and Dean—”

“Has been encouraging him to try and see how they’re working,” Dean cuts him off. Cas tilts his head and Dean knows before Cas even speaks that this is gonna be one of those Cas has no boundaries or human hang ups about sex or other weirdness mornings.

“And helping me groom them,” Cas finishes.

“Groom them?” Jody echoes, looking at Dean and Cas like she had enough of their nonsense and hour before they came downstairs. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with our bum generator would it?”

“You know what, I’ve got one of those battery things in my bag, uh, Cas, come help me find it,” Dean squeaks, grabbing Cas and pulling him out of the kitchen.

“But I haven’t had any bacon yet,” Cas argues.

“We’ll eat it in the car!”

 

They don’t end up getting the bacon in the car, but they both sneak some in the chaos of rush out the door and into the two cars. The drive is awkward and quiet, but somehow, they make it to the main drag of Knife River, right off the spot on the lake where the locals are swearing up and down they’ve seen the famous Lake Superior monster. It’s a cold, gray day, made even colder with the biting winds blowing off the lake.

“So, should we hit the water, talk to people or canvass?” Dean ask the group as they stand in a semi-circle, hands dug into their coat pockets

“Let’s do both,” says Sam. “Jody and Donna can hit the shore, since Donna knows the terrain and we’ll question the locals. We can tell them we’re doing a podcast on the creature or something.”

“Hey,” Jody responds. “Since you’re sending us out to face the monster while you make new friends, mind if we take the angel?”

Cas looks nervously between Jody and Dean. “That would be safer,” he hedges, clearly knowing that Dean won’t like it. “You’re better with humans than I am.”

“Great!” Donna says before Dean can protest. “I saw we head north first, there’s some good viewpoints we can peek at.”

“You guys have fun,” Sam says as Donna hauls Cas in the direction of the shoreline, Jody smirking behind them.

“Don’t die!” Dean yells after them and gets a condescending look from his brother for his trouble. “Come on, let’s go research our podcast or whatever. Hey you think people will think I’m more credible on the cryptid front since I’m traveling with an actual sasquatch?”

“Har har,” Sam says as they start walking towards the ramshackle line of buildings that make up the main drag. “Do you really want to go down that road with me today? After you blew out our power _grooming you boyfriend_?”

To Dean’s credit he doesn’t trip or shriek on anything. He keeps his cool, mostly because he’s been dreading this moment all morning and preparing accordingly. “Listen, Sammy, I’m sorry for the power thing. We obviously didn’t mean to but, hey, when I’m good, I’m good. And…last night was…” Dean whistles low and Sam makes a disgusted face.

“Okay, okay, I get it, don’t need any more details,” Sam says.

“Are you sure, because, I can paint you a picture.”

“Please, no.”

Dean laughs. “Like, I was kinda weird out, cause, you know, wings, but it was way sexier than you’d think.”

“How did you even managed to see them?” Sam asks, equal parts curious and annoyed.

“Oh, Cas did something to my brain or whatever.”

“Oh of course. Nothing big. And…” Sam sighs, obviously hating himself for asking this. “Why?”

“His wings…they’re shot, man,” Dean answers, the memory of those bare patches and broken feathers tugging at his heart. “Like, they’re getting better, but the grooming helps ’em heal.”

“Huh, that’s…that’s actually fascinating. I wonder if there’s any lore on that…” D

Dean rolls his eyes as Sam shifts into geek mode. “I bet there is, but right now, we got a Not Ness monster to find.”

“Yeah, okay. Hit up the diner first?”

“Sounds good. Hey, Sam?”

“Yeah?”

“If I get turned on by Cas’s wings, does that count as bestiality?”

Dean grins for a full minute after that one.

 

Knife river turns out to be a not boring little town. The locals talk about the monster like it’s as real as the deer or the seasons. Everyone’s either seen it or has a family member that’s seen it. A speck on the water they thought was a log but then turned out to be the size of a house. A dark, moving, undulous thing, right beneath the surface. The stories match all the research and they seem pretty benign…except for the corpses that have been washing up on the shore the past few week. No humans yet, but the last time the deaths started, two fishermen went missing. And before that a stevedore going home.

Even with all that, no one has any theories about what’s really happening and they all laugh at Dean and Sam when they ask for advice on how to get a look at the thing. It’s shy they say, and it’s a big lake.

“Big lake, my ass,” Dean mutters as they head out of the tenth place. They’re getting no where and he’s getting hungry and cold. Or, hungrier and colder. “This is like looking for a killer needle in a haystack the size of Iowa.”

“Pretty much,” Sam sighs in agreement.

Thankfully, Dean’s phone starts blaring some Journey at that moment, the caller ID showing it’s Jody saving them from more wheel spinning. “Jody, please tell me you’ve had better luck than us.”

“Not exactly,” Jody answers in a concerning tone. “Can you meet us back by the cars? Maybe bring something warm to drink?”

Five minutes later they’re carrying steaming cups of coffee towards the Impala and Jody’s truck, where the sheriffs are huddled around a the open door…where Cas sits inside. And he’s soaking.

“Oh what the hell,” Dean groans, shoving the coffee at Sam and rushing to the group. “I told you not to die!”

“As you can see, I’m completely alive,” Cas scowls, batting Jody away then pushing a wet lock of hair out of his face.

“What the hell happened?” asks Sam, coming up behind him.

“Your heroic lover boy here thought he could take a look in the lake,” Jody says, somehow rolling her eyes without looking away from Cas.

“He went on about not technically needing oxygen and just popped right on in,” Donna adds and Dean levels a glare at Cas.

“I told you—”

“I thought I had healed enough that it would be fine,” Cas cuts him off.

“Yeah, you look _real fine_ ,” Dean snaps back.

“Hoo boy, I knew you these two were dating, but Sam, when did they get married?” Donna says, diffusing the tension, or at least getting Cas to shut up, which helps Dean shut up because he at least got the last word.

“And before you ask, yes, we saw something,” Jody says, to Dean’s surprise. “It wasn’t like Cas was going in blind.”

“There’s definitely something in there,” Cas adds. “I just needed a better look.”

“At the killer water dragon,” Dean argues.

“That’s what we’re here to hunt, Dean,” Cas says, swatting away the coffee that Sam tries to hand him. “And, again, it was of no risk to me or my vessel.” As if to prove a point, Cas is dry in the blink of an eye and starts walking to the Impala.

“Where the hell are you going?” Dean yells. “I’ve got the fucking keys and you obviously still need a ride. You’re no use with holes in your shoes.”

Cas turns to him with one more glare and vanishes.

Shit.


	4. Chapter 4

“Okay, so, I could have been more…” Dean looks up at Jody over the kitchen table in the cabin. “Come on, don’t make me say it.”

“You need to say it, kid,” Jody replies.

“More…sensitive.” Dean sighs. Donna played interference with Sam, hauling him off to the local library where the internet lives, leaving Dean alone with Jody while he waits for Cas to get his stubborn ass back.

“Because?” Jody pushes.

“Because he’s touchy about his powers and shit.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Maybe you should trust him and treat him like an adult?” Jody prompts. “You manage it with Sam once in a while.”

“Yeah, and it’s like pulling teeth. Wait, no, it’s…fuck.” Dean grinds his knuckles into a knot in the wood of the table. “I hate this. Cas and I, getting our shit together and being…like this, it’s supposed to be easier. Like last night I had a whole speech and I let him to the brain thing and I did the wing thing how are we not still good?"

“Dean, I hate to tell you, but relationships are work,” Jody says, more tolerant than Dean deserves right now.

“You know I’ve never held down a steady job in my life,” Dean jokes and Jody gives him a cut the bull shit raise of her eyebrow. “Okay fine. I gotta trust him and, like…let him do what he needs to feel, confident or whatever.”

“Good. That’s progress,” Jody says, ruffling Dean’s hair.

“Well, it won’t be if he never shows back up,” Dean mutters. “The bastard’s GPS isn’t working because he probably drowned his phone and who knows if he can even get back here from wherever he’s gone and—”

“It’s not that hard to find.”

Dean turns at the sound of Cas’s voice, even deeper and more done with everything than usual.

“You look like crap,” Dean says, automatically and gets a swat on the shoulder from Jody for it.

“I had to walk the last mile or so,” Cas replies, looking embarrassed again and doubling Dean’s guilt.

“I was about to go driving around looking for you,” Dean says. In his head it sounded more comforting, but Cas still looks wounded and irritable. “Jody, could you, uh, give us a minute?”

“I’ll give you as many as you need, I’ve got to make a supply run anyway so…behave yourselves. Or don’t. Whatever gets you two back in line.” Jody gives them both encouraging pats on the shoulder before disappearing out through the living room.

Dean stands, sighing and trying pathetically to figure out the right thing to say.

“I shouldn’t have left like that,” Cas says, beating him to it. “I’m…”

“No. You don’t need to apologize. I’m sorry for being an asshole,” Dean says, quickly, like pulling off a band aid. “I…overreacted and treated you exactly like I said I wouldn’t and…I’m sorry.”

Cas regards him, stepping purposefully into his space and doing the thing that Dean’s still pretty sure is looking at his soul. He stares but still doesn’t speak, for long enough that Dean starts panicking.

“Seriously. I’m sorry. I was a jerk because I worry and, like I said, I don’t ever want to lose you again and…”

“You worry out of love,” Cas finishes for him and Dean bites his lips. Cas uses fewer words than he does, but to much better effect.

“Yeah. That.”

“I understand,” Cas says and Dean looks back up at him, relieved. “I still apologize for my own actions. I was…over-zealous and wanted to prove myself. It was foolish."

“I know, man, I know.” Dean’s the first to break and reach out and touch Cas, placing a hand against his rough cheek. Luckily, Cas leans into the touch, pressing his own hand to Dean’s. “We can keep working on your wings. I mean, hey, I had a lot of fun with that if you didn’t notice.”

Cas finally cracks a tired smile. “I did.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but.’”

“But it likely won’t be enough to repair my wings well enough for me to help find the creature,” Cas finishes.

“Cas, I…” Dean opens his mouth to argue and tell Cas that isn’t the point but Jody’s glare flashes in his mind and stops him. “I know that’s something you really want to do. Is there…” shit he can’t believe he’s saying this but love is weird. “Is there any other way to speed up the process.”

Cas looks thoughtful, casting his eyes away from Dean and withdrawing from contact. “Not one that’s safe for you.”

“Well now you gotta tell me what that is,” Dean says with what he hopes is an encouraging smile. It doesn’t work. Cas still sighs and keeps his eyes on the floor.

“I would be able to speed up the process if I briefly touched…your soul.”

In all fairness, this was not what Dean was expecting.

“My…soul?”

“Yes.”

“I’m guessing that wouldn’t be as sexy as the wing petting?” Dean has seen folks getting soul-fisted before, and the memory is already killing boners in his future.

“I don’t think so. I would be gentle,” Cas says. “And careful, but it…would be dangerous.”

“Yeah, I know it could smart a bit.”

“Or you could explode.”

“You’re really selling it,” Dean says and Cas sighs heavily.

“That’s why I didn’t want to ask it of you. The risk is too high and…I’ve already hurt you enough,” Cas says, and Dean can’t help roll his eyes. So they’re dealing with the guilt bullshit today too on top of the trust issues. Great.

“Let’s do it then,” Dean says, resolved. Cas of course looks at Dean like he just started speaking Enochian.

“Dean. No. It’s too dangerous. I shouldn't have asked."

“You’ve done it before with other folks and haven’t exploded them, right?”

“Yes, but…"

“And none of those people were me, so you’ll be super careful.” Dean’s pretty sure he’s going way past  Jody’s ‘don’t say anything else stupid’ wishes, but stupid decisions for the people he loves it sort of his thing.

“Actually, I have touched your soul before,” Cas says, matter-of-fact.

“Excuse me? I’m pretty sure I’d remember that…unless it was some kinky sleepy sex thing?”

“It was in hell, Dean.”

“Oh. That.” Normal couples probably don’t have discussions like this. But they do still have the same issues. And the same way to solve them. “Then you know your way around,” Dean offers with a shrug. Cas does not look like he’s buying it. “Come here, you dork.”

Cas doesn’t protest as Dean takes his hand and leads him back up to their room. Nor does he argue when Dean strips off his shirts and then Cas’s coat, jacket, tie and oxford. It’s an affectionate strip down, efficient and familiar.

“Okay, Cas, bring ’em out,” Dean says, giving Cas a little bit of space, but not too much. Cas still looks nervous, but he complies, his wings shimmering into Dean’s perception. They’re clutched close and tight to Cas’s back, hiding their damage but revealing Cas’s tension. The only logical way to help is for Dean to kiss the moron, so he does.

The kiss is slow and familiar. Gentle, letting Cas know that whatever happens, they’re okay. They’ve been through so much ridiculous shit to get to where they are that wings, and their issues, and even giant lizards are not going to get in the way. Cas gets the message, or Dean thinks he does, because he kisses back just as tender and longingly. It’s good, so good, almost enough that Dean forgets that there was a point to all of this…until a feather brushes his shoulder with a gentle shock.

Dean opens his eyes, staring up at Cas’s unfurled wings spread around them. 

“You know, whether this works or not, you’re still…I mean… _I_ still….uh…” Dean fumbles. It all sounded so good in his head, but Cas is doing distracting things with his feathers, and he’s got that really, sweet, fond look in his face.

“I know, Dean. You don’t have to say it.”

He really, really doesn’t deserve someone this understanding. Or Cas deserves someone better with this shit.

“No. You…” Dean bites his lip. He’s not sure what he’s pissed at suddenly, but it’s most likely him. “If I’m gonna let you soul poke me, I should at least be man enough to be able to tell you that I love you.”

It’s like another little shift in reality, something shimmering and gorgeous flickering onto Cas’s face. Tender and true. “It is nice to hear, I will admit.”

Dean smiles, hesitant. “Wasn’t so hard.” An eyebrow is raised and a wing flutters. “Okay, maybe kinda hard but…let’s just get on with the not exploding me part so we can get to the sexy part, okay?”

“I’ll be careful,” Cas replies. “

“I know. I trust you.” It’s true, but it doesn’t mean Dean isn’t kinda sorta terrified. Cas places his palm against Dean’s bare chest then hesitates, brows knit. Carefully he caresses up Dean’s pectorals and to his shoulder until his hand covers exactly where the long faded print was. “Like you said, you’ve done this before,” Dean mutters and closes his eys.

There’s more than the familiar warmth in the touch, something electric, charged like the air before a storm. Dean takes a shallow, shaking breath. The waiting is the worst part as always. The way Cas is looking deep into his soul, possibly literally, as his wings still  shimer and sparkle behind him. Dean wonders if he should make some crack about usually asking for lube with this sort of thing, but before he can ruin the moment, Cas presses his hand harder, straight through skin and bone and whatever magical bits are there keeping him in place and fucking _touches Dean’s soul._

It’s a weird sensation, that’s for damn sure, but it’s also not the weirdest thing Dean’s ever experienced. Too be fair, that bar is pretty high, but he honestly expected it to hurt more, or hurt at all, considering what he’s seen of a soulonoscopy before. But this feels…weird. The pressure is bone deep and choking, but not in a terrible way; Like a really good massage or maybe even something sexier. It’s searing and chilling at the same time, but also…familiar. They have done this before. He can’t remember it fully. It’s only light and sound and then that all to brief second of being completely seen and completely safe.

It’s bright now too. So bright he can see it through his closed eyes. He knows opening them is a stupid stupid move, but, as the current situation and his entire life proves, stupid moves are kinda his thing. When he opens his eyes, he’s glad of the stupid.

He think that maybe this is what the stars see, looking out into the vastness of space. It’s not black, it’s light. So much light. Every color in the visible spectrum and Dean’s pretty sure some that aren’t. It’s galaxies and nebulae and black holes and all that is right there in Cas’s wings, all that potential is something he’s reflecting from Dean’s fucking soul and it’s beautiful.

Then it’s gone.

They’re back in reality, not that he’s really sure they left or why he feels like that. There’s definitely something different though. Maybe it’s the floor. Yes. Totally. The floor feels like jello or that could be his legs…

“Whoa, uh…”

Cas catches him when he falls, because that’s what they do. Catch each other. It’s kind of romantic.

“This meets your definition of romance?” Cas asks, holding Dean close to him with strong arms and massive wings wrapped around them like a cocoon.

“Did I say that out loud or are you reading my thoughts?” Dean asks, his words only slightly slurred. He feels like he could sleep for a week but also jump to the moon. It’s very weird.

“A bit of both. And yes, you probably feel slightly fatigued.”

“Just slightly,” Dean smirks. He’s not sure why that’s so funny. “How are…whoa.”

“You said that already.”

“Yeah, but…” Dean can’t think of anything else to say because Cas’s wings are… “Whoa. It worked.”

“It did,” Cas says smiling. His wings are so much better. But not one hundred present okay. They're still slightly ragged, a bit rougher for ware, but that’s sort of the same as Cas. Not standard issueangel anymore, but still fucking perfect. To Dean at least.

“Hell yeah, knew it would,” Dean grins like an idiot. He knows he looks like an idiots because Cas is giving him that sweet ‘you’re an idiot’ smile. “Now you can like, fly to Italy for Pizza or something if you wanted.”

“We have pizza available here,” Cas replies.

“Yeah, but like…you could.”

“Maybe you should lie down for a while,” Cas says tolerantly.

“Shut up, I’m fine.”

“Oh good.”

Dean’s ass smarts from plummeting to the floor before he can process the fall or that Cas is gone. “What the fuck!?” Dean yells  to the empty room. A heartbeat later, Cas is back. Smirking.

“Would you like to revise that?”

“Where the hell did you go?”

“Peoria,” Cas replies with a shrug that makes his wings glimmer in the dim light.

“You couldn’t have done the pizza thing?”

“Stealing would be wrong.”

Dean glowers, standing up from the floor with Cas’s help. He’s feeling clearer already, though that might be the jolt from the pain. “You’re getting me pizza when we’re done.”

“Done?”

With that Dean pulls Cas to him and kisses him, hard and hungry. Cas gets with it very quickly, to his credit, wrapping Dean in his wings again. Dean’s never going to tell anyone how much he likes it. Or maybe he will. It’s the sort of thing that will horrify the shit out of Sam and he’s gotta share how awesome it is to be _caressed_ by his boyfriend’s interdimensional feathers. Just…wow.

Maybe he is still a little bit discombobulated. That’s a funny word.

“Is there a reason you’re laughing to yourself?” Cas asks, husky and indulgent.

“Sorry. I need help focusing,” Dean grins back and Cas complies by grabbing Dean’s bare ass and pulling them flush together, trapping two growing hard-ons between them. “Wait. Did you _mojo away_ my pants?”

“I didn’t want you to hurt yourself getting out of them.”

“You’re so considerate.”

“I am.”

Dean stops arguing. He kind of has to with the way Cas is kissing, and grinding them together and massaging the globes of Dean’s ass. Oh, and there are the wings again. Literally feather light on every inch of his skin. He’s got fucking goosebumps in a second and the only way to deal with them is to get closer to Cas. They kiss and kiss and kiss and touch. Dean’s completely drunk on it, but he has enough presence of mind to feel it when Cas’s feathers and fingertips delved between his ass cheeks. He keens at the first touch at his hole and before there’s more, Cas is considerate enough to lift him up and transfer him to the bed. This is great because standing up wasn’t going to be an option any longer.

Cas’s mouth and wings are all over him as Cas gets to work opening him up. Who knows where the fuck he got the lube, but it’s there, cool on those perfect fingers. Dean’s eyes have been closed for a while, but when he opens them he sees stars. No, not stars. Those amazing wings that make him feel like he’s the one flying.

When Cas finally trades out his fingers for his cock, it’s easy. Dean’s so relaxed and open there’s no burn or stretch at all. Maybe once someone has had their hand inside your soul for the day, a dick isn’t quite as big of a deal. But it feels good. So good and full and when Cas starts moving it’s pure fucking ecstasy. Dean’s making some pretty loud noises right now, and Cas isn’t quiet either. Dean really hopes that soundproofing is still there, but he’s too blissed out and busy being gloriously fucked to care. He’s flying so high already that it startles him when he comes, almost like an after thought. He thinks Cas follows along but he honestly can’t be sure. Lights burst behind his eyes and also possibly very literally in the room and then there’s just…quiet.


	5. Chapter 5

So. Cool thing. Angel wings are warm as fuck. Dean knows this because one is acting as his blanket while Cas drools on his shoulder. He doesn’t mind. It’s cute drool. He’s pretty sure his brain has cleared up from the soul recharge and the mind-melting wing sex, but that last thought makes him question it. Whatever. He feels really good, so he’s just going with it.

He trails he fingertips over Cas healed feathers. They’re even more beautiful that he remembers and he really hopes that they can do the whole grooming thing again in the future. Probably not every night though. The power grid can’t take it.

There’s actual singe marks around the busted overhead light. Whoops. His phone is fully charged when he grabs it from the night stand though. That’s cool. He has a few texts from Sam.

The oldest reads:

**> >Jody says you two are trying to work it out. Good.**

The next one is from ten o’clock pm. Jesus what time is it now? Dean had thought it was still afternoon thanks to the sun streaming through the windows but it’s the wrong window. Well fuck.

**> >So. Power just went out. I assume things are better. We’re going to have dinner in town. Don’t break anything else.**

Sam never wants him to have any fun.

“Cas, it’s morning,” Dean mutters, nudging his comatose boyfriend. Cas responds by snuggling closer. He was an octopus before and now with two extra giant appendages it’s worse. “Come on. You technically don’t even need sleep.”

“I enjoy the quiet and the rest is restorative,” Cas mumbles into Dean’s chest.

“If you can use the word restorative you’re ready to wake up. And I need to pee.”

“Fine,” Cas sighs, over-dramatic as ever.

“And now that you’re restored, we’ve got a busy day ahead finding a lake monster.”

 

It’s good to have a task to focus on, because Sam is insufferable over breakfast, and Jody and Donna aren’t much better. Dean eventually has to pull out a ‘what? Have you never heard of make up sex before?’ and it almost works until Cas reminds him that there was sound proofing up so no one would have heard anything which is great because Dean can be ‘quite vocal.’ Then suddenly everyone is ready to leave.

The waters of Lake Superior are deceptively smooth in the cool morning, just a few wisps of mist hanging around the shoreline when they pull up. They’re at the samw viewpoint where Cas, Jody and Donna got a look ar the creature was last.

“So, what are we doing here?” Donna asks cheerily. “Taking another swim?”

“I think I’ll be more successful today,” Cas says, eyes focused determinedly on the water. Both Jody and Donna give Dean worried looks but he shakes his head. Cas knows what he’s doing. Or at least Dean’s gonna trust that he does. “Please hold this,” Cas says, resolute as he strips off his trench coat.

“Good luck,” Donna murmurs and with a soft rustle of feathers, Cas is gone.

And he stays gone.

Dean waits. Everyone waits. Eyes on the water in four different direction like it will make a difference. Dean’s looking northeast, repeating in his head that Cas is _fine_ when Sam yells. “I see something!”

“Is it—” Dean starts, following Sam’s eyeline to the water. It is decidedly not Cas that’s he’s looking at.

“Is that a boat?” Donna asks, also finding the dark, undulating shape in the shallows, heading towards shore.

“It looks like a snake,” Jody says in disbelief.

“Not either! Come on!” Dean orders and like that they’re off, running down the rocky path towards the shore. The thing – let’s be honest, monster – is undulating towards the shore, black, arrow-shaped head bobbing in and out of the water. Dean has no idea what the thing is after until he see the dog on the shore, barking at the water like it wants to get eater. “Oh great. Just great,” Dean growls to himself, then yells. “Sam! Get Fido out of range! I’ll…”

“You’ll what? Shoot at the lake monster?!” Sam yells as the skid onto the beach, Sam heading for the and Dean towards the water.

“Good plan!” Dean shouts back, drawing his pistol just as he splashes into the shallows. The monster is close now, and weirdly, all Dean can think is that it’s not really that big. It’s kind of a legless, black giraffe; which is terrifying but he was expecting more. Even the glimpse they had before didn’t quite match this. He still aims though, because small or not, monsters are monsters. The creature rears out of the water, giant maw opening up and—okay, _several_ rows of teeth there. Awesome. Hope silver bullets work on this…

“Dean, wait!” Jody yells just as the beast rears back from Dean…and another, much bigger monsters explodes from the water behind it, sending a freezing wave onto the shore that completely drenches Dean. Now _that’s_ a fucking lake dragon. It’s huge, shiny and black with a horse-shaped head and even _more_ teeth that the small one. The things roars, deafening and splattering dean in who knows what on top of the freezing lake water.

Oh, and there’s an angel riding on its back.

“Cas?!” Dean yells over the screeching noises coming from the monster. At least this one doesn’t look too interested eating anyone or anything. In fact, it’s most interested in the smaller monster. The baying, screaming noises coming from it as it snaps and bats its arms (fins?) at the little one sound…concerned?

“Put your guns down!” Cas calls, jumping off the monster and landing next to Dean with astonishing grace. Show off. Dean obeys, as do Jody, Donna and Sam beside him.

“Cas, what the hell?” Dean demands, watching as the creatures snap back and forth until the small on hangs its head and the big one nuzzles it. Dean’s never heard a giant lake monster coo, and it’s weirdly sweet.

“Holy smokes,” Donna breathes, getting it the moment Dean does.

“It’s a mom and baby?” Jody asks, putting together the final piece.

“The attacks weren’t malevolent,” Cas explains. “Her pup just feeding on easy pray after the winter. The cycles are tied to their reproduction.”

The mother monster looks up, right at Cas and makes a screeching, hissing noise.

“She promises that they will be more careful and stay way from the shore,” Cas says.

“You can understand it?” Dean balks.

“Of course,” Cas replies, and he gives Mama Dragon a look that Dean’s pretty sure carries some telepathic angel signal, just when he thinks this day couldn’t be any weirder.

“Cool, so…” Dean starts and the mother lizard hisses at him. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“The effects of global warming have been terrible for their food source,” Cas translates, glum.

“We recycle!” Sam yells at the beast and the group turns to him as a whole with vary looks of judgment and concern. “Never mind.”

The monsters splash and give one more howl, then Cas nod. “They’ll leave now. The situation is handled.”

“It’s…” Dean doesn’t get to finish. With a roar, the water dragons or whatever they are, dive back into the water and speed away, two slithering black lines retreating into the depths. “Okay. Um. Great.”

“That was not how I was expecting this to go,” Jody says.

“Not everything needs to end in violence,” Cas replies, finally turning to Dean. “Why are you all wet?”

Dean scowls, flicking water from his hair. “Because your new pal set off a water bomb on me and…how are you _not_?” Dean sputters, noticing for the first time that, aside from a few artful water droplets on his hair, Cas is immaculately dry and clean.

“I used my wings to create a temporary spatial displacement ar—”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Show off,” Dean grouses as he starts to pick his way up the hill back to the viewpoint. From the corner of his eye he sees Cas heave a sigh before taking Dean’s by the arm.

It’s been a few years since Dean’s been _whooshed_ anywhere by an angel. It’s still as disconcerting as ever and leaves him feeling like he left his organs behind. Dean blinks, getting his bearings. They’re back by the car. Cas bends to pick up his coat where Dean left it on the ground in the rush.

“Sorry, there was a—”

“It’s fine, Dean,” Cas smiles. “I’m glad it’s dry.” With that Cas grins and drapes the coat over Dean’s wet shoulders.

“Cas...” Dean blinks. He feels like the just got married or something.

“Hey, why don’t we get a lift?” Jody calls as she, Donna and Sam reach the lookout.

“I apologize, but the person who allowed me to use their soul to restore my wings does merit priority,” Cas replies, still looking at Dean warmly and smiling. Dean’s still failing on the words thing.

“Wait, you _what_?” Sam demands.

“I thought they were just getting their honey happenings on,” Donna says.

“It was a surprisingly sensual experience, that’s true,” Cas comments.

“I did not need to know that,” Jody mutters as Sam winces. Donna looks disturbingly interested though.

“Was that why you—” Donna starts.

“So, uh, we should get home,” Dean finally chokes out. “Or you know. Back to the cabin.”

“Uh huh,” Jody replies, looking Dean up and down and reminding him that Cas finally let him wear the coat. Weird. But also awesome. Kinda like the two of them.

“So, Cas, you wanna drive?” Dean tries to sound casual, but everyone turns to him like he just coughed up a marmoset. Everyone except Cas, who’s got the beautiful ‘you’re worth the universe to me’ look in his eyes that makes Dean kinda tingly.

“I’d like that, Dean,” Cas says. “Maybe tonight I can pick up some pizza.”


End file.
